An Advanced Mathematics Program for Middle School Teachers

The Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences (CBMS), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and other organizations recommend twenty-one credits of mathematics coursework for prospective middle school teachers, beginning with a foundation based on mathematics for the elementary school curriculum, and followed by advanced courses directly addressing middle school mathematics. Three simultaneous factors—the emergence of the Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies Program at James Madison University, the release of CBMS guidelines, and a statewide focus on a critical shortage of qualified middle school teachers—provided an immediate audience for new upper-division courses built around the guidelines in probability/statistics, algebra, geometry, and calculus/analysis. We will discuss our experience with course planning and adaptation of other programs

Lessons from a Lawyer’s Life

The author, scholar-in-residence at Pace Law School, received the 2013 ABA Award for Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy. A pioneer in the early years of environmental protection, she expands in this space on her remarks in accepting the honor, drawing insights for today’s environmental professionals

Environmental Law Confronts the New Industrial Revolution

This issue of the Pace Environmental Law Review presents a set of articles to shed new light on those questions in the case of the products of nanotechnology. For comparison, the issue also includes an article on the regulation of genetically modified organisms in agriculture in the United States and Brazil, an early effort to govern the risks of a major new technology

Promotion and Non-Promotion in the Elementary School

The purpose of this study was to find out the facts concerning pupil promotion and non-promotion in the elementary school and to make recommendations to public schools which might enable pupils to progress through school in a more orderly manner

The Closing Space Challenge: How Are Funders Responding?

As restrictions on foreign funding for civil society continue to multiply around the world, Western public and private funders committed to supporting civil society development are diversifying and deepening their responses. Yet, as a result of continued internal divisions in outlook and approach, the international aid community is still struggling to define broader, collective approaches that match the depth and breadth of the problem. This paper seeks to answer the question: how is the assistance community responding to what a growing array of aid practitioners now see as a major threat to Western support for civil society development in many parts of the world?  It looks at how Western funders are responding, examining changes they are making in how they operate and what they do to support civil society abroad, as well as actions they are taking to try to limit specific closing space measures

A Correlational Study of Self-Directed Learning and Entrepreneurial Success in Southeast Kentucky

Many factors contribute to business and entrepreneurial success. Raw material, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship are common inputs into most business organizations (enterprises). Entrepreneurship is the one factor of production that is needed in all successful business organizations. In Southeast Kentucky, there has been much attention given to small business development and the need for more entrepreneurship. However, little research has been done on the “self-directedness” and “emotional intelligence” that are needed for entrepreneurial success. This study investigated the possible association between self-directed learning and emotional intelligence with entrepreneurial success in a Southeast Kentucky group consisting of independent small business owners. This study also examined the relationships of age, gender, annual salaries, years of college education, and years of business experience with entrepreneurial success. The Learning Preference Assessment (LPA), the online BarOn EQ-i survey, and a short demographic survey were used in this study. Of the 250 entrepreneurs randomly selected, 104 responded by completing and returning the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Survey instrument (SDLRS) and the demographic questionnaire. Due to technical difficulties, the results from the online BarOn EQ-i survey were not available. The mean SDLRS score for all 104 entrepreneurs was 239.63. The minimum SDLRS score was 206, and the maximum SDLRS score was 284. Correlational analysis revealed a moderate-size, positive correlation of SDLRS with years of experience. More experience tended to go with higher test scores. Also, a moderate- to large-size positive correlation of SDLRS scores with sex (gender) was discovered. Males tended to score higher than females on the SDLRS. There was no correlation whatsoever of SDLRS scores with age. There was a large positive correlation of educational level with SDLRS scores. Individuals with higher education were associated with higher scores. Lastly, there was a very large correlation between SDLRS scores and income. All variables, except age and experience, were significant when compared to self-directedness